


Missing You

by LucieFuhrMoriarty



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Gen, M/M, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-11
Updated: 2014-12-09
Packaged: 2018-02-25 00:14:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2601518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucieFuhrMoriarty/pseuds/LucieFuhrMoriarty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carlos is still trapped in the other worldly desert. Cecil is at home. When will they meet again?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Carlos

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm actually writing as my final project for a creative writing class and I hope you all enjoy it.

A dry wind blew past and ruffled Carlos’ hair. The sun glared down at him, but the heat wasn’t unbearable. He trudged through the sand and sighed heavily. 

_Day 12, still don’t seem to be making progress. Must continue._ Though even as he thought it, he sat down on a nearby rock, then jumped up cursing as it was burning hot. Muttering he took his lab coat from around his waist, laid it down over the rock, and cautiously sat back down. He gazed over the mostly flat, hot desert hellscape and sighed once more. 

_Will probably make it to the mountain by sundown._ He mused shaking his head. _Said that yesterday too._ He gazed up at the bright sun momentarily. 

_Must be about half past noon._ He reached into his pocket and pulled out the bent, nearly torn picture. Running his thumb along the major horizontal crease he looked over his shoulder in the direction of the mountain. He looked back at the picture and smiled softly. His own face peered out at him, the confusion and slight amusement of the moment was more than apparent. It almost looked as if he was caught by surprise, like someone had just called his name. 

_Well that’s kind of exactly what happened._ He thought as he turned his attention to the other man in  the photograph. Even though it was only a picture, it was almost as if Carlos could hear the laughter coming from the other man. 

_Wishful thinking._ He sighed sadly to himself as he continued to gaze at the picture. The man’s curiously violet tinged eyes were almost hidden by his large framed glasses that reflected the dim little light of the community radio station’s control room. The man’s sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing the purple octopus tentacles that ran down the length of his arms. He was neither tall nor short, not thin or fat, not really physically distinctive in anyway. Not that any of that really mattered. 

_Oh Cecil. What have we gotten ourselves into? What have I gotten myself into?_ He shook his head at this. _What are you up to Cecil?_


	2. Cecil

_“_ And as always, goodnight Nightvale, goodnight.” Cecil murmured into the microphone. The “on air” light went off and he stood up to stretch. Cecil glanced around the recording booth and shook his head. _Day 12 without him here to hear. I wonder if he’ll call me later._ He thought as he made his way to the door. Cecil pushed the big soundproof door open and made his way down the hallway. Down at the end of the hallway just beside the door was his supervisor, Lauren. _Great._ She was talking to a man who appeared to be about his height, with a similar hairstyle, but in a different color. He tried to keep his head down to avoid being noticed as he approached them and the door. He almost made it too. His hand had just curled around the door handle when an annoyingly preppy voice called after him, 

“Oh Cecil there you are! Great show! You really made the company proud today!” Lauren trilled. He turned and forced a smile onto his face. 

“Thanks Lauren! It means a lot. You know I do everything I can to keep Strexcorp happy.” 

“That’s wonderful Cecil. Your hard work is appreciated. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s show! And the day after that, and the day after that, and so on into eternity.” She finished with a wide smile, perhaps almost too wide of a smile. Cecil held back the shiver of disgust that crawled up his spine and nodded, keeping his eyes anywhere but Lauren’s. 

“Well I should get going. Khoshek is probably getting hungry.” 

“Khoshek, that’s your cat right? The one that you found in the bathroom here?” _The one you almost killed?_ Cecil thought in a moment of intense and uncharacteristic anger. He reigned in his emotions and nodded.

“Why yes. He has also developed a bit of separation anxiety since the accident, so I like to get home as soon as I can.” 

“Of course Cecil. You go on home now. Give Khoshek a little treat for me.” Cecil smiled but his eyes narrowed as he went through the door without another word. He grumbled under his breath as he made his way down the station’s steps, not paying attention to where he was going. It wasn’t until he bumped into someone on the final step that he was brought out of his hate filled thinking. 

“I’m so sorry! Please forg- oh. It’s just you. What do you want Steve?” 

“I came here to see you Cecil! It’s been awhile you know, and I thought I’d just drop by and -” Cecil quickly cut him off, 

“Steve, you’re not just aloud to “drop by”. Besides doesn’t Janice have a violin recital tonight?” 

“Well yea, but I wanted to know if you were sure you didn’t want to go.” 

“Steve of course I want to go to my only niece's violin recital, but I can’t. Carlos said he might call soon, I don’t want to miss him in case he does. Now I’ve got to go, Khoshek is waiting for me.” 

“Cecil-” 

“Bye Steve.” Cecil waved over his shoulder as he walked down the sidewalk. He didn’t look back. He made his way down the side of Main St, and turned down Earl Road. He gazed at all the passing citizens and mysterious hooded figures as they went about their daily routine. Some walked alone, others in pairs. Most of the pairs were connected in some way, hands intertwined, an arm wrapped around a shoulder or waist. Cecil looked to both sides of himself and then behind him. He was alone. His eyes began to water and he held back a sob. He wiped at his eyes quickly and took a deep breath. He continued to walk with his head down and turned on to Somerset. Signs for Old Town Nightvale began to pop up as he made his way down the street. His apartment building loomed up and blotted out the setting sun. The door man pulled open the old door and nodded towards Cecil.

“Sunset is quiet tonight.” 

“Yes it is isn’t it. I hadn’t noticed.” Cecil replied as he made his way inside. He pressed the up button on the elevator and waited patiently for the small metal cage to come and fetch him. The doors slid open with a ding and he stepped inside. The elevator groaned to a start and began to rattle upwards toward the ninth floor. He stood in silence for those few seconds and stepped out as soon as the elevator doors opened.  

He walked towards the door of his apartment and unlocked, opened, and stepped through the entrance, closing the door quietly behind him. A soft meow greeted him as he flicked on the lights. Cecil smiled widely as Khoshek lifted his head up from it’s resting position on his paws. He stood up slowly, yawned, and limped slowly over to Cecil. Cecil smiled sympathetically down at the cat and picked him up gently. He nuzzled into the cat’s dark fur, avoiding the sharp ridges along Khoshek’s back. 

“Who’s a good kitty? Is my good boy hungry?” Khoshek blinked his eyes lazily and gazed up at Cecil. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He set Khoshek down gently on the couch and moved toward the kitchen. He pulled open the fridge door and grabbed the cat food and set it out on the counter. Khoshek rubbed his head against Cecil’s legs and meowed in anticipation. 

“It’s coming good boy just wait. And guess who I saw today? Thats right all your kittens. They’re all doing fine. They are getting so big, their spine ridges are starting to grow in too. I’ll take you back to see them as soon as I can.” Cecil crooned as he scooped the cat food into Khoshek’s green cat bowl. Cecil set the bowl down just outside of the kitchen and Khoshek stumbled over himself trying to get there as quickly as possible. Cecil smiled sadly and glanced over at the counter where is phone sat on the counter charging. 

_Carlos, I miss you. Please call me later._ Was the last message Cecil had sent just before heading for work. He sighed and gazed out at the now new night sky. 

_Oh Carlos, please call._


	3. Carlos

Carlos stood up and stretched. He turned to face the mountain with a look of determination. _Today is the day. I’m going to make it to the mountain. I’m going to make it home Cecil. I promise._ He started walking. The hot sand shifted under his feet as he trudged along. _Well, this is pretty boring._ He glanced around as he walked, seeing nothing but shrubs, cacti and rocks in a variety of sizes. _It’s weird. I don’t think I’ve even seen a lizard out here. Or any kind of animal really. What the hell is this place? No animals, sunlight almost 20 hours a day, a mountain with a red light blinking atop of it, no cellphone towers but I have reception and a full battery even after 12 days without charge._ Carlos stopped suddenly. He hit his forehead with his hand and groaned. _Cecil told me to call he today. I wonder if he is still up. What time is it even?_ Carlos pulled his phone from his back pocket and pressed the power button. _12:27 AM. Well the show ended about an hour ago, maybe there’s a chance..._ His train of thought drifted off as he began to unlock his phone. He went to hit the call button when a cold wind breezed by. He sighed and turned his face toward the breeze. 

“Carlos.” Carlos whipped his head back around startled. The desert was as empty and desolate as it had been before. Carlos’ heart thumped wildly against his ribcage, threatening to jump out or stop completely. _I’ll call him later. I should probably keep moving._ Carlos kept moving towards to mountain, picking up his pace considerably. 

_Probably was just my imagination. There’s no one else here. I would have seen them by now. Right?_ Carlos glanced around quickly and shook his head. _This desert is getting to me. Just got to keep moving. Got to get home to him._ The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. No matter how much he wanted to deny the possibility, he felt eyes watching him. The feeling was intense and unshakeable. Carlos took a couple deep breaths and gazed up towards the top of the mountain. The red light atop of it blinked at a steady beat. He kept his eyes trained on it and refused to look around. 

_There’s nothing else here but me._


	4. Cecil

Cecil was awoken by a large black cat climbing across his stomach. He looked around groggily and sat up on his elbows. _Fell asleep on the couch again._ The cat looked at him and curled up on his midsection. Cecil laid back down and stared up at the blank ceiling. He turned his head to look at the vintage Kit-Cat clock hanging on the wall. _9:03 huh?_ Cecil directed his eyes back to the purring cat nestled on his stomach. 

“Sorry boy, but I’m going to have to get up.” The cat swiveled it’s head to look at Cecil and yawned. Cecil chuckled, picking up the cat as he sat up. Khoshek meowed in protest, fidgeting in Cecil’s grasp. 

“Alright alright Khoshek, I’ll put you down then.” He placed the cat on the couch where he immediately laid down in the spot of warmth Cecil left behind. Cecil stood and stretched, gazing out the window. The bright desert sun gleamed down and out at the residents of Nightvale. People down below on the street scurried to and fro, a few glanced over their shoulders as if they were being watched. Which of course they were. Cecil gazed upwards toward the sky. The Sheriff and his Secret Police Station hovered above the town on what appeared to be a cloud. _Who knows anymore?_ Cecil shrugged and shuffled over to the bedroom door and opened it. He yawned loudly as he made his way to the closet. He flipped the switch and opened the door to the brightly lit little room. 

Clothes of all kinds hung on the right side of the closet. Purple vests and jackets, fuzzy pants and plain, tunics in every shade imaginable. Along the other side lab coats hung orderly behind a collection of flannel button ups. Cecil reached out a hand and held a sleeve of one of these button ups. He ran his fingertips along the soft fabric and sighed. He pulled the shirt off of it’s hanger and brought it to his face. _It still smells just like him._ Cecil felt the tears come to his eyes again and this time didn’t try to hold them back. He leaned into the closet wall and slid down it, clinging to the shirt as he went. He landed on the floor with a loud _thump_ and the tears began to flow freely. He rested his head on his knees and hugged the shirt closely to him. _Carlos I want you home. Please come home to me. I don’t know how much longer I can live like this._ His body shook with his emotions as he sobbed into the shirt. A sudden ringing noise in the kitchen caught his attention. He stood up slowly and took a deep breath and followed the noise. His phone shook as it vibrated and rang on the kitchen counter. He felt his heart start to race and he scrambled to get to it. Cecil snatched the phone off the charger and hit answer. 

“Hello? Carlos?” 

“No silly, it’s Lauren. I was wondering if you could come in early today and show the new intern around before her first day tomorrow.” 

“Oh, yea sure. I’ll be there.” 

“Are you ok Cecil? Is something wrong? You sound like you’re not smiling.” 

“I’m good Lauren thanks. I’ve got to go shower and get dressed. Bye.” 

“Ok Cecil, remember to smi-” He hung up before she could finish. He sighed and chucked his phone back onto the counter. He turned to walk back towards the bathroom when it started to ring again. _Probably just her calling back to tell me to smile. It doesn’t matter._ He continued to make his way to the shower without another look back. 

  * _***  *       *    *   *_



Carlos waited patiently as the phone continued to ring. The desert sun was finally beginning to set. 

“Hey, you’ve reached Cecil’s cell. I’m probably off doing the show or feeding Khoshek or hailing the Glow Cloud. _All Hail._ Anyways try again later. Or never. Or whenever you decide you need to speak to me the most. Whichever works. Bye.” 

Carlos hung up the phone and looked at the mountain and it’s blinking red light. He sighed and placed the phone back in his pocket. _Maybe he’s busy._


	5. Carlos

He gazed up from the base of the mountain, craning his neck to glimpse the blinking red light. 

_I’m coming home Cecil. Wait for me._ Then he started walking once more. 

The path up the mountain didn’t appear to be that steep. Not at this part of the mountain anyway. Plus the towering walls of the mountain provided some shade from the harsh sunlight. He looked around as he walked, seeing but not observing. The eyes of some kind of desert creature stared out at him from a crack in the mountain surface. He thought nothing of it. He continued on walking until he stopped. He stood still momentarily and turned slowly to stare at hole in the mountain he had passed. _After all this time and I finally see something else living?_ His heart began to race as he remembered the voice that had called out to him in the desert. _That was just my imagination. Is this just my imagination?_ He started slowly back to where he had been seconds before. He peered into the hole and saw nothing. A gust of wind blew past the back of his neck. He whipped his head around wildly, searching. _How can there be wind in a mountain pass?! I should be shielded by the mountain itself._ He took a large breath and let it out shakily, trying to calm himself, and failing. His heart continued to pound and he could almost feel the blood pulsing through his veins faster than it should. He took off, racing up the mountain path. He stumbled a little over some rocks, but hardly slowed. _You’re being ridiculous you know._ He thought as he glanced over his shoulder. 

_This desert is just getting to you. You’re stressed, not getting enough sleep, and are lonely. It makes sense that you are starting to hear and see things. Without a stimulus in your environment for your brain to interact with, it creates one to keep itself entertained. You get so bored so easily at home, even with all the excitement of Night Vale. How else would you expect your brain to react in a desert without any kind of living creature or other scientific abnormalities._

This caused him to slow to a complete stop. He doubled over as he tried to catch his breath. _Never was the athletic type._ Standing upright, he looked over his shoulder once more to confirm there was nothing following him. _Well at least I made a lot of progress in a short amount of time._ He letout a loud laugh that echoed off the mountain walls. He laughed and laughed until tears came to his eyes. Then he laughed some more. He laughed at his reaction, he laughed at his situation, at his own laughter. But as time went on his laughed became more forced. The tears continued to come, but they no longer appeared to be tears of laughter. He dropped to his knees, his body shaking with an unexplainable emotion. He was happy, he was depressed, he was angry, he was excited. _I’ll make it home Cecil. Eventually._


	6. Cecil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update, I've been really busy. Plus I'm changing the story from what I actually turned in to my CW teacher, but never fear, I'm actually adding more detail to the one I'm posting here, that's why this chapter ends at kind of a really random part. (My apologies for that by the way.) So yea :)

 

Cecil finished buttoning his purple vest, running his hands down the front to smooth out the fabric. The cold tile bathroom floor bit at his feet, but it wasn’t unbearable. He rubbed his hand against his jaw, the stubble growing there was beginning to bother him. _I’ll shave later. It’s not like I run a television station._ He chuckled at his own joke and pulled his hairbrush from the left hand drawer. He ran it through the dark hair closer to his neck and bottom of his head, then through the dyed white top. 

He glanced into the mirror uneasily to check his progress then looked away quickly. _Someone's going to kill you one day and it's going to involve a mirror._ His mother had once said. _Ah, I miss her so much._ He glanced at his reflection again and seemed... off. His hair appeared to be wet and not completely groomed yes, but that wasn’t what seemed wrong. His outfit looked fine; purple vest, white button down underneath, black bow tie and slacks. He stared back at his own face. His nose looked the same as always, as did his mouth. But his eyes... No longer were they the deep purple hue they had been all his life. They no longer appeared to be there at all. His eyes looked vacant. Not vacant as in he was staring beyond himself into something else, but vacant as in they were no longer there. Or perhaps the were there, but had gone all black. He blinked rapidly, hoping to see a flash of purple instead of the awful pools of black staring back at him in the mirror. Then, the usually most constant feature of his face began to change. His lips, usually pressed into a soft line began to part. Cecil watched in mute horror as the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile. Then they appeared to stretch farther than a person’s mouth should be able to stretch. The dark eyed, or perhaps no eyed, version of himself grinned grotesquely. Cecil held his breath, watching his dark double with wide eyes. The double’s outfit began to change. Patches of his purple vest began to grow darker as they appeared to become stained with a sort of liquid. _Is that... No no no no.._ Cecil began to grow panicked as the stains started to drip onto the reflection of the counters and left dark red splashes where they landed. The color of his vest also began to change as it was turned into a bright dandelion shade of yellow. His hair began to lightened into sunny golden locks that contrasted brightly against the blood stained lapels of his vest. His black bowtie brightened to a horrendous shade of orange. Cecil stared at the monstrosity of a man in the mirror and sat silently with bated breath. The double gazed back at him, or at least so Cecil thought. It was kinda hard to tell with no pupils. The man, no, the monster tilted his head slightly as if almost confused by the sight before him. Then what could have been a laugh escaped from the wide smile. It was hard to tell. 

“Hi Cecil. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about some thingssss.” 

Cecil’s eyes widened but didn’t say a word. The thing continued. 

“I understand your boyfriend is out of town yessss?” 

“Yea, what’s it to you?” Cecil snapped angrily. 

“Oh I just happen to know lots of things about your precious Carlos. Specifically where he is, how hard he is desperately trying to get back here, how he’s being followed.” Cecil stared his evil double down. 

“What do you mean followed?” 

“Oh Cecil. Your boyfriend is a very... interesting man. My boss is very fascinated by him. He thinks he could be a very good... asset, to the company.” 

“You leave him alone Kevin!” 

“Cecil,” the man in the mirror sighed his smile drooping for but a second, then grew back to it’s original fullness, if not wider. 

“Oh Cecil, I have nothing to do with it. It’s not up to me. I’m just busy enough here in your little town trying to keep things running, I don’t need the stress of trying to recruit and train-,” the double threw up air quotation marks with the words “recruit” and “train”, “-on my mind as well. Plus The Smiling God believed Carlos needed... a more personal touch.” 

“What the hell does that even mean you monster?! Stay the fuck away from him, me, and my town. We’re sick of your Smiling God, sick of Strexcorp, sick of you!” Kevin laughed and the floor under Cecil’s feet began to tremble slightly. It stopped when Kevin’s laughter faded out to a small chuckle. 

“Do you want to see him? I mean Carlos of course. Do you want to see him? I can show you him if you want.” Cecil stared back into the deep depths of black looking at him from the mirror. 

“Yes. Please.”  

“Look at you. Even when you’re scared stiff you’re always so polite. I love it.”  Then image in the mirror began to change. 


End file.
